Today the Teen Treks group cycled from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, Canada along the beautiful Niagara Parkway. During one of our stops we watched a guy dress into his diving suit and found out that he dives for 30 + minutes being carried by the river current and gets picked out down river. We found a scenic spot along the river for a picnic lunch and then continued our ride to Niagara Falls. We visited the famous Horseshoe Falls and all got Tim Hortons donuts. For some of us it was their first Tim Hortons donut. We biked to the Niagara Falls Hostel and food committee cooked a wonderful dinner of pasta, chicken, and green beans with garlic. Dessert was double chocolate chips cookies. This evening we rode back to the falls for the fireworks show and to view falls which they light up each night in different colors. Tomorrow we are looking forward to the Maid of the Mist and a dynamic hike along the lower Niagara Gorge.
Last night we camped at the historic Ice House in Newton Hook. While camping, we enjoyed a sunset swim and dry night under the stars.
We set out in the morning on our path to Albany. Our journey consisted of roller coaster like twist, turns, and hills. We stopped halfway for a snack and to refill our bottles at Schodack Island State Park. We also stopped at a farm stand and enjoyed fresh peaches and zucchini bread.
In Albany we took a tour of the magnificent New York State Capital Building. Then we walked across the Albany Mall to the Observation Floor in a nearby skyscraper. Our day was concluded with luxurious beds, showers, and a pool at the Albany Holiday Inn Express.
Today our journey to Bar Harbor began! After riding the commuter rail north of Boston to Lowell, the group got to know each other while exploring the historic sites in the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. We ate delicious sandwiches before biking 15 miles to our first campground of the trip. Everyone is riding confidently and excited to see the ocean tomorrow in Gloucester!
We pumped up tires, packed food and belongings and headed out of Fort Townsend State Park towards our last camping spot for the trip at Kitsap Memorial State Park.
It was about a 25-mile day, headed east, through long, hilly roads. Eventually we crossed over the bridge and arrived at our destination late afternoon.
Having early evening free, we were able to hang out at the beach, take naps, swim, read and relax all before it was time to make dinner.
Delicious campside burritos filled our stomachs for dinner, and dessert was had down by the beach over a beautiful sunset with the mountainous scene in the background. It was almost like starring into a painting!
Tomorrow we will head to Seattle early in the morning, one last day of biking, a ferry ride and packing up bikes before we share a big meal together!
Leaving Norrie Park, this morning we started our 40+ mile bike up to Newton Hook. The rain finally clearing, we enjoyed a beautiful ride up Route 9, stopping along the way for lunch and wading in a creek. The highlight of the day was stopping by Meisner’s Heritage Farm store and munching on fresh peaches, homemade fudge, and cookies described by one Trekker as “circles of heaven.” We finished off the day at a local pizzeria and with a refreshing swim, enjoying our night in tents before we head off to Albany tomorrow.
As we inch closer to our final days together, exploring the Pacific Northwest, there are still beautiful sights to see and special moments to have.
Today, was just that. We left Sequim Bay State Park after a warm bowl of oatmeal and a beaming sunrise over the bay.
Reminders of our evening swim the night before left a fond memory as our bikes turned out of the park and continued our journey through the Olympic Peninsula.
We followed the Olympic Discovery Trail, a calm gravel trail with a scenic view of the Puget Sound by our side throughout the ride.
We met some nice people at the local grocery store/bike shop during our quick lunch break, and then headed into the hilly journey to our campsite for the night at Fort Townsend State Park.
Since we arrived early, we set up tents in our cozy section of the forest, ditched our panniers and headed into the old city of Port Townsend to explore and eat dinner.
Luckily, it was Thursday, which meant live music downtown near the pier. With an eclectic mixture of Mexican food, pizza and barbecue, we all gathered take-out and picnicked in the grass while listening to folky tunes and watching sailboats cruise by in the setting sun.
The night ended with a full moon, a beachside sing-a-long, and a few determined swimmers braving the chilly Sound.
With only two days left, we plan to squeeze in every adventurous moment and enjoy the quality time we have left to share together.
Teens and parents met at beautiful Front Park overlooking the mouth of the Niagara River to begin the 150+ mile bike ride to Toronto, Ontario. The trip includes 2 days in Niagara Falls where the Trekkers will see the mighty Niagara roar from multiple viewpoints and venues, including the Maid of the Mist and a hike at the Niagara Whirlpool. As they head north they will bike alongside the huge lake freighters on the Welland Canal and overnight at picturesque Balls Falls and Bronte Provincial Park. The Trekkers will spend 3 days in Toronto to visit Chinatown, great art museums, the beautiful waterfront and the Toronto Beaches. Finally a bus will bring them to Buffalo, NY for their last day of cycling around the Queen City.
Eight excited Trekkers and Trip Leaders Isabel & Ben met early today to begin their 16 day, 400+ mile ride north through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. To bypass riding through Boston streets the group took an MTA train to Lowell, MA. There they will get to know one another, talk about bike safety before exploring this city’s Industrial Revolution past. Finally they will bike 15 miles to their campsite at Harold Parker State Forest.
Our last day! We spent our time in Regents Park and Hyde Park, then biked around the city on London’s “cycle superhighway.” We talked about highlights of our trip and what we’ve learned about ourselves and each other.
Zoe: This being my first time in Europe, I loved exploring all the new places. Seeing how bike friendly the Netherlands is, the beautiful countryside of England, and the cities of Paris, Ghent, and Brugge was so incredible. It was also amazing to be able to interact with local people and other travelers. I’m so happy to have biked this tour and seen and done all that I did.
Henry: Belgium and Netherlands were by far my favorite countries. The bike friendliness, the amazing cities, and beautiful scenery made it an unforgettable experience. One particular day I loved was phantoming in the Netherlands by the ocean, and waking up and having breakfast on the beach. Also all the dogs!
Andy: I loved all four countries we went to. The highlight of England was watching the musical: A Comedy of a Bank Robbery, which had me laughing my butt off the whole time. My favorite part of France was climbing the Eiffel Tower and looking out over the city. The best moment in Belgium was watching the World Cup game in the town square. Although Belgium did not win, the atmosphere was still very cool. Last but certainly not least, I loved Holland for its friendly bike lanes and riding along the beach and phantom camping in the sandy dunes.
Aimee: I love the Netherlands!!! I expected the awesome bike lanes to end when we left Amsterdam, but we had them all the way to the ferry. I would like to go back and bike across the country someday. The culture isn’t all that different from ours, but it’s an adventure to get around a country where you don’t speak the language. My favorite place to stay was actually in England, though, when we slept at a spacious hostel with its own gardens and farm. “Rabbit Village” won me over in about two seconds.
David: Hearing French every day was a highlight for me, and, of all the places we visited, I would most wish to return to Paris. The bike lanes of the Netherlands were incredible — as were the art museums. The cobblestone streets of Ghent and Bruges in Belgium were wonderful to wander and get lost in, and beginning and ending the trek in England was special because the growth of the group was evident, whether asking strangers for directions, navigating without a GPS, or making collaborative decisions.
We biked from Heart o’ the Hills campground to Sequim Bay State Park. The group enjoyed learning about local marine life at the aquarium in Port Angeles. It was interesting to see how the vegetation changed from temperate rainforest to a more dry desert like landscape as we got closer to Sequim. The Olympic Mountains block much of the perception in Sequim. We even saw a bald eagle!
